The Stray
by hispreciousthing
Summary: Rey has moved into a new neighborhood. A cat that she assumes is a stray is often seen wandering the neighborhood. The neighbors say that his name is 'Ben Solo'. When Rey suddenly stumbles upon Ben up for adoption at a local pet store, she decides to take him in. It turns out he is not the type to be grateful. AU. Modern Day. Kylo Ren is a cat. I am a very strange person.
1. The Neighborhood Cat

_Ben Solo_ they called him.

Rey saw him around every now and again. Her neighbors always mentioned how cute he was when he would wander by. He was a bit strange-looking, in Rey's opinion. He was slim-bodied and lanky. He had a thin face but surprisingly large ears and was black from head to toe, save a small speck of white on his chest.

Rey assumed that he had a home somewhere, despite the fact that he seemed to wander the neighborhood at his leisure day and night.

One day she found out that he did belong to someone.

She found out on the day that someone passed away.

"Oh Han," her elderly neighbor, Maz, had sniffed into her handkerchief. It was a strange sight to see the usually strong and composed woman crying. "He was a good man. Flighty, and maybe a bit untrustworthy at times, but good at his core." She noisily blew her nose. "That black cat, Ben, was his. Do you know which one I'm talking about?"

"Yeah," Rey had replied awkwardly. She hadn't known her neighbor that well at all. She'd only moved into her apartment a month ago.

She had patted Maz's back in what she hoped was a comforting gesture as the old woman continued to cry.

Rey could only wonder who would take care of the cat now.

* * *

After his owner's passing, Rey didn't see Ben Solo for a few months. She sometimes thought about the strange cat, but she just assumed that it had been taken by one of Han's relatives to be cared for.

So perhaps that was why she was so surprised to see him at the local pet store.

Well, actually, she didn't see _him_. Not at first. She saw his picture on a clipboard attached to a large metal cage that housed a handful of cats up for adoption from the nearest pet rescue center.

Earlier that day her friend since high school, Finn, had brought her along on a few of his errands. Halfway back from their outing, he had gotten a text from his roommate (and Rey's other good friend) Poe reminding him to pick up dogfood for their Corgi, BB-8.

Finn had cursed and quickly whipped the car around. He apologized profusely to Rey, who simply shrugged her shoulders and told him that if her ice-cream melted past the point of no return in her shopping bag then he would owe her another gallon, plus a chocolate bar as penance.

When they arrived at the pet store Finn dashed toward the back to find the dogfood and Rey lagged behind to look at the pets on display.

She had surveyed the hamsters, guinea pigs, mice, and even paused to watch with amusement as the ferrets rolled around and played with each other. Then she had migrated toward the large cat cage. Peering in, she found nearly all of the kitties napping or otherwise lounging about. There was very large and fluffy one that was a lovely caramel color that caught Rey's eye. Rey had glanced down to find its chart, curious as to what breed it was.

Then she saw him. She snatched the clipboard and her brow furrowed as she stared at the picture. It was hard to decipher his features in the grainy, dark photo, but she knew those big ears.

Her eyes flicked over to the name. Sure enough, scrawled in the top right corner she saw it.

 _Ben Solo._

Her eyes flicked down the page. She was as curious as she was confused.

 _Color:_ Black.

 _Breed:_ Unknown. Closest match is Oriental Shorthair.

 _Attitude:_ Unsociable. Does not get along well with other cats. Likely would not get along with children.

 _Reason for Coming to the Shelter:_ Owner passed away and did not have relatives to look after him.

 _Additional Notes:_ In need of a quiet living situation. We believe that with enough time and patience he will come out of his shell and warm up to the person who welcomes him into their home.

Now that Rey knew he was in there, she looked more closely at the cage. It was three-tiered contraption with most of the cats lounging on the second and third uppermost levels.

Rey crouched down on her knees to peer into the first level, the one that mainly housed the litterboxes and food dishes.

Finally she spotted him in back the corner. He was crouched on the hard plastic in the darkest spot. He nearly blended in perfectly. Rey found herself frozen staring at him. He looked uncomfortable, having curled to be as small as possible with all his feet tucked under him and his tail wrapped closely to his body. His eyes were closed, but they eventually opened under Rey's unwavering gaze.

They locked eyes for a moment. He regarded her, even lifting his head a bit to sniff the air. He paused, breathed out sharply, and then closed his eyes and tucked into himself again, effectively ignoring her.

"Uh, anything I can help you with, miss?" Asked one of the employees as he wandered by.

Rey quickly scrambled up from her position on the floor. She glanced over just in time to see Finn heading her way with one of the most ridiculously large bag of dogfood she had ever seen thrown over his shoulder.

She looked back to the store attendant, who's nametag read 'Hux'.

"Yeah, actually," she said. "I'm adopting that cat at the bottom, Ben. Ben Solo."

"Wait, what?" Finn blurted, his eyes going comically wide.

The red-haired employee looked just as surprised as her friend did. "The really antisocial one?"

Biting her cheek, Rey nodded. "Yeah. And I'll need all the—cat stuff, too." She waved her hand, "Litterbox, food. Uh—all of it."

"The _really_ antisocial one? Black? With huge ears?" Hux asked again, this time more slowly.

"Wait, _what?"_ Finn was beyond bemused.

Rey glanced back down to the bottom level of the cage. Ben paused mid-step, having come out of his hiding spot. They caught eyes again. Her brown hues bore into his own nearly-matching ones.

"Yeah, I'll take him," Rey told them all. Her tone was sure.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you all so much for reading! This is a really strange and completely out-of-the-blue story that my mind decided must be written. I hope you enjoyed! Please look forward because there will be more to come!

Cover image retrieved from Usayaka and Pirate at wordpress .com


	2. Adoption

"It looks like it needs stiches to me, Rey."

"I'm _fine,_ Finn. It's nothing."

"I don't know. Seriously, at least go to a doctor—"

"I'll put disinfectant and a Band-Aid on it when I get home, _okay_?" Rey finally snapped.

They drove in silence for a few tense seconds. Silence punctuated by low, angry growls from the back seat.

"You're going to need like—twenty Band-Aids," Finn told her.

Rey expelled an exasperated breath. She looked down at her right hand, which was completely wrapped in white gauze and recalled the last hour.

 _"By the Maker, why is everything so_ expensive _?" Rey hissed. Pushing a shopping cart, she followed Hux down nearly every damn isle in the pet shop and watched as he just kept adding more and more stuff into the basket. "Do I_ really _need all this? He's just a small cat."_

 _At her comment, Hux turned around and pinned her with his shockingly blue eyes. "Well, you've never owned a cat before. They don't just need some food and a place to do their business. Along with the actual litter box, cat litter, food, and bowls, you're going to need medicine for fleas, special cleaning supplies for their messes, treats, toys, some kind of scratching post so they don't destroy your furniture, a carrier to take them to vet appointments—"_

 _Rey held up a hand to stop him, looking queasy. "Alright, I get it. Just—throw it all in here."_

 _Finn had been surprisingly silent after Rey's declaration that she would be taking the cat. He had even been the one to grab the cart and fling the dogfood for BB-8 on the bottom of it. He now spoke up as he trailed behind the pair._

 _"So—why are you getting a cat all of a sudden?" he asked. "Did you have some sort of way-too-early midlife crisis and decide you may as well become a crazy cat lady in your twenties?"_

 _Rey punched him in the shoulder, though she was unable to suppress a slight smile._

 _"That cat is—was—my neighbor's. I thought he had gone to a relative or something. But—apparently not," she admitted._

 _"And that's your problem how?" Finn asked, rightfully confused. Rey was a free agent and she liked it that way. She enjoyed looking after BB-8 on the rare occasion that both Finn and Poe went out of town, but she had never expressed the desire for a pet of her own._

 _Rey simply shrugged at his question. "It's not, but…" she sighed. "I don't know. I just know that I have to take him. I mean—its been months. I've no idea how long he's been at the shelter—"_

 _"A while," Hux interjected. The redhead paused pulling some medicine off a shelf to address Rey, "He's been in here several times in the last couple months. The shelter is no-kill, but they haven't had any luck in getting anyone even remotely interested in him."_

 _Rey gave Finn a look. It was a look he knew all too well._

 _She was getting this cat._

 _"I'm not getting him for you," Hux told her. His arms were crossed squarely over his chest. They had finally finished gathering and purchasing all the supplies and filling out the necessary paperwork. All they needed now was the_ cat. _"I'm telling you—he's a monster. Bit and scratched me more times than I can count and all I was doing was putting in food or scooping the box. Nothing like my Millicent, who is so well behaved. In fact, there is this trick that I taught Millicent to do where—"_

 _Rolling her eyes, Rey tuned out the store employee and glanced over at Finn, who put up his hands in a defensive gesture. "Nuh-uh. Your cat. Emphasis on_ your. _As in, not mine. As in-," he began._

 _"Alright, alright!" Rey cut her friend off. She sighed and went down to her knees. Ben had retreated to his corner again. Only this time his eyes were already open and staring right at her._

 _Defiant._

 _"Come on, then," she called, reaching out to him._

 _His eyes narrowed._

 _It had been a battle of wills, but Rey had succeeded in stuffing a_ very _unhappy cat into the newly-purchased cat carrier. Within seconds of shutting the gate, a very low and menacing series of growls had begun emanating from the carrier._

 _"By the Maker, Rey—Your hand!" Finn exclaimed._

 _Rey looked down and winced._

 _Hux was beside her with a First-Aid kit in an instant. Within a minute he had her hand cleaned and (a bit excessively) bandaged._

 _"Congratulations," he deadpanned, holding out a sheet of paper to her. "He's all yours."_

 _Rey took the paper. The document declared that she was officially Ben Solo's new owner._

 _"Thanks," she had muttered. Pressing the paper into Finn's chest, she picked up the carrier with her good hand (which earned a tidal wave of protesting yowls) and walked out of the pet store._

"So what are you going to do with him when you get home?" Finn asked.

Rey looked up from where she had her nose buried in her phone. She had been Googling everything there was to know about owning a cat for the duration of their drive.

"This website, PAWS, says that I should let him out in one room at a time or something and let him get adjusted. It also says that I should take him out of his carrier and show him where the litter box is—"

Finn guffawed and shot her a look.

"— _Yeah,_ I figure I'll let him come out on his own. It's not a big place. Ben will find the box himself."

"Good idea," Finn said, an edge of amusement in his voice. Then he seemed to recall something.

"By the way—are you still going to call him that?" he asked.

"Huh?" she glanced up from her rapid-fire Googling.

" _Ben?"_ Finn questioned.

"Is something wrong with it?" Rey looked a bit confused.

Finn shrugged. "Not really. I mean—I guess he doesn't really strike me as a Ben. But it's up to you."

"I'll think about it," Rey muttered, going back to her research.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who read, commented, and saved this story! I'm so glad that I'm not the only one who this wacky idea appeals to. Look forward to Ben's introduction to his new home in the next chapter!


	3. Releasing the Kraken

"Alright cat, it's time," Rey said. She and Finn had quickly set up everything from the litter box to the scratching post. Finn had made sure that Rey had everything in order before he fled her apartment, not wanting to stay when she _unleashed the kraken,_ as he had so eloquently put it.

Rey had set down the cat carrier with Ben inside in the living room first. She had closed the door to her bedroom and blocked off most of the second bedroom (which doubled as her office). She left the guest bathroom open, though, since she had placed the litterbox inside the bathtub.

She leaned down and opened the door of the carrier, swinging it wide and holding her breath.

A beat passed. And then another one. There had been no noise from the carrier since she set it down in her apartment. Now she wondered if the cat had somehow magically escaped.

She waited another moment. No movement. No sound.

Loosing patience and feeling concerned, Rey went down to her knees and peered inside the carrier.

He was in there alright. Pressed into the far back corner and staring at her untrustingly.

"You can come out," she told him, feeling confused.

He didn't even blink. He just kept staring at her and not moving. If she was honest, it was kind of freaking her out.

"Have it your way, then," she huffed. Rey got back on her feet and walked away from the carrier. She would just wait for him to come out on his own.

She bustled around her apartment for a minute, making sure everything was settled before retreating to the couch. She collapsed into it and pulled out her phone, checking and replying to her work emails. She glanced to the carrier every so often, but there was never any movement.

Eventually Rey pulled out a book and began reading. A couple hours into her story, she _finally_ saw a shift in her peripheral vision.

She glanced up just in time to see Ben poking his head out of the carrier. He kept his head low as he slowly surveyed his surroundings. Rey watched him intently. He hesitantly brought one paw out and placed it on the carpet.

Rey must have moved in some way because one moment he was slowly and deliberately making his way out from the carrier and the next his head turned, he spotted her, and then he bolted out of the carrier and straight under the loveseat adjacent to her.

Rey sighed. This was not going to be easy.

* * *

Rey didn't see Ben for quite some time.

"Honestly, the only reason I know I even have a cat is because food goes missing and the litterbox needs cleaning," she confessed to Finn over the phone a few days later. "He must come out when I'm asleep because I've hardly even left the house."

Rey worked from home. She enjoyed her job because it paid exceptionally well and sometimes allowed her to travel abroad for business meetings. The only downside being that she rarely was able to step foot outside during the workweek since she was glued to her computer and on conference calls nearly three times a day.

"At least he hasn't suffocated you in your sleep," Finn supplied helpfully. "Yet."

"Ha ha," Rey drawled sarcastically.

The pair exchanged a few more words before Rey finally hung up. Sighing, she lounged back on her couch and closed her eyes.

She must have dozed off because she was jolted awake by a loud clanging sound.

Her eyes darted to the source of the noise and landed on Ben. He was frozen over his food dish. It looked like he had accidentally turned it over trying to reach the last bits of food left in the bowl.

"Hey," Rey greeted softly.

His gaze flicked over to her and he watched, still stuck in place, as she rose to her feet. Moving as slow as possible, Rey approached him and bent to retrieve his food bowl.

"I'll get you some more," she whispered to him. His eyes were trained on her, still unblinking.

She went to the pantry and grabbed some food. Adding it to the bowl, she came back and placed the food dish in front of him.

He continued to stare at her. She stared back, willing him with every fiber of her being to accept her offering. Eventually he turned his head and looked to the food bowl. Rey held her breath as she watched him sniff the contents, and then expelled it as he opened his mouth and began to eat.

Feeling a surge of triumph, Rey forgot herself and happily leaned down to pet the top of his head.

He was on her in an instant.

"Yeah, I think this time I'm gonna need stiches," Rey muttered into the receiver of her phone. She pursed her lips as her admission was met with a great howl of laughter.

" _Prick,"_ she mumbled at the pair of eyes glaring up at her from under the couch.

"Need a ride to the hospital?" Finn's voice came back to her. He was still a bit breathless from laughing at her.

"Yeah, if you don't mind," Rey said. She looked down at her hand. She had stopped the bleeding, at least. After a moment's thought, she confessed, "I do want to change his name."

"To what?" Finn asked, sounding happy and intrigued. She could hear the jingle of his keys as he snatched him, followed by the sound of his apartment door slamming.

She looked back in the direction of the couch and caught eyes with the cat. "Kylo. Kylo Ren." Rey finally said, a little cat tilted his head, seemingly intrigued.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you again to all who have been enjoying this strange little story! I am having way too much fun with it!


	4. Embarrassed

Rey began to regret ever hoping that Ben- _Kylo_ would come out from hiding. It seemed that now she had interacted with him once, he was _everywhere._

And he was _loud._

He talked to her incessantly and he used this tone that just _grated_ Rey's nerves. One moment he was a ghost in her apartment, and the next he was filling her quiet home with as much noise as possible.

He always _needed_ something. It was always his food dish, his water bowl, or the litter box that he was yowling about.

Except the one day it wasn't.

"For _Kriff's sake,_ cat," Rey groaned as the noise began. She pushed herself away from her desk and stomped around the apartment, checking the usual spots.

"Everything is just fine, Kylo," she huffed. "Your dishes are full and you box is clean, so what in the world are you going on about?"

Then Rey spotted him. Her brows furrowed in confusion. He was doing something… Strange.

She watched as he seemed to struggle with something on the top of his head. He went back and forth between reaching one of his front paws up and passing it over his ear and using his back leg to scratch at it. She watched as he struggled, making strange chattering noises. After a while he bolted over to the couch and began running his head against one of the edges.

Rey suddenly understood.

She made her way over to the still-struggling feline. She was hesitant, and rightfully so. Since the food dish incident that resulted in four stiches spanning over the fleshy part of her hand between her index finger and thumb, any and all subsequent attempts at any sort of petting had continued to be met with scrapes and cuts (and teeth marks).

 _This will be the last chance,_ Rey told herself. She had made up her mind. It was all or nothing.

Kylo paused his struggling to observe her approach. His eyes, as always, were weary. The distraction only lasted for a moment before the overwhelming itch forced him to continue rubbing his head against the edge of the couch.

Steeling her nerves, Rey reached out and placed her fingers behind Kylo's ears. She began to scratch.

He froze. Rey held her breath.

He didn't attack.

For one tense moment he seemed to contemplate it. His gaze had snapped back to her again, but Rey didn't stop.

Eventually, seemingly despite himself, Kylo's eyes closed and he ever-so-slightly pressed his head up into her hand.

Rey couldn't help but smile. She began to scratch around a bit more, moving from his ears to the side of his face and then under his chin. He accepted all of it.

Then, a miracle happened.

He began to purr.

Granted, it didn't last very long. Kylo hadn't been purring more than two seconds before his eyes snapped open. Rey had a strange sense that he had realized what he had begun to do.

He seemed to be _embarrassed_ about it.

Just as soon as it had begun, the moment was over. Before Rey had so much as blinked, Kylo had vanished under the couch once again.

Still, she found herself smiling.

He had _finally_ allowed her to touch him.

To celebrate, Rey popped the tab on an expensive brand of wet food for him and a nice bottle of whisky for herself.

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry this chapter took a little bit longer to post! I had a very busy end of the week and weekend. Thank you all again for enjoying! 3


	5. Cohabitation

_Rey was having such a strange dream. She was in a desert. The golden hills spanned on for as far as her eyes could see. Endless. The air was bone-dry and the sand beneath her feet was scorching hot. She couldn't remember how she had gotten here. She only knew that she had been here a long, long time._

 _Alone. Suddenly she realized how terribly alone she was. A pain blossomed in her chest. She started to feel panicked and frenzied. She needed to find someone._

 _No, not that. Someone needed to find her._

 _Her family._

 _She remembered now. She had been abandoned on this desert wasteland by her family. They were coming back for her._

 _All she had to do was wait._

 _So she waited. And waited. The years went by in a blur. They never came._

 _Her loneliness grew until it crushed her._

Rey woke from her sleep to find tears streaming down her cheeks. That dream was a painful reminder of the loss she'd suffered; of the time she had spent in the Foster Care system. She had been so lonely, just as she had in her dream.

A sudden pang of frustration shot through her. She was stronger than this. She had overcome all the obstacles that had been in her path and she had become successful. She had a job and a home. She had a _life._

But no family. Just a cat that hated her guts and only accepted her help when there was absolutely no alternative.

Rey was facing the window, and the light that was pouring in from between the cracks in the curtains indicated that it was morning. Rey decided she didn't really have the strength to get out of bed right now. She closed her eyes, sighed, and flipped onto her other side and away from the window.

She froze when something pressed against her forehead. Something soft and warm and tiny.

Her eyes snapped open and she stared in bewilderment at what was before her.

Kylo was resting on a pillow right next to her head. He was sprawled out on his side, looking more relaxed than Rey had ever seen him before.

And one of his paws was pressed to her forehead.

When their gazes met he retracted his paw and gave her a single soft meow. Then, he placed his head down on the pillow, sighed, and closed his eyes.

Many questions ran through Rey's mind. How long had he been there? When had he started sleeping next to her? Was he waiting for the right time to smother her like Finn had predicted?

Had he put his paw on her forehead as a warning? It didn't seem that way. He had been too… Gentle about it. He hadn't hissed or growled. He had _meowed_ at her.

Had he put his paw on her forehead to somehow comfort her? Had he sensed her distress? Had he maybe been trying to _help_ her?

Rey didn't know, but it didn't stop her from muttering a small, "Thanks."

Kylo grunted in reply, his tail flicking once.

* * *

Their relationship took a dramatic turn after that morning. Suddenly she noticed Kylo entered and stayed in any room she was in.

Though he always had this air of ' _I'm completely here by accident'_ every time she noticed him.

Today he had decided to lounge in a new and surprising location.

On Rey's desk as she worked.

He moved as quietly as a shadow, so the girl startled when suddenly there was a cat where there had not been one before. He sprawled out right over her papers. He had a look in his eyes that clearly read ' _I dare you to try and move me.'_

While their relationship had certainly improved, Kylo continued to show her his displeasure in the form of nips and light scratches.

So instead of fighting him, Rey closed her laptop with a sigh. She rested her elbow on her table and met his eyes.

He offered her a small, somewhat tentative meow.

She reached out and scratched him behind the ears. He began to purr.

This time he didn't run away.

* * *

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed! I couldn't shake this feeling that while I was having a fun time developing Kylo Ren's character into this cat form, I wasn't doing much of anything to show more of Rey's character. Her dream there was my way of (hopefully) inserting Rey's character a bit more into this universe. As always, everyone's support and love for this strange little fic of mine continues to make my day!


	6. Vet Appointment

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Rey's tone held a small hint of hysteria. Her hand gripped her cellphone so tightly it was a surprise it didn't splinter.

 _"The vet appointment is tomorrow at,"_ Rey heard the sound of quick fingers working against a keyboard, _"two o'clock in the afternoon._ "

"But I never scheduled a vet appointment." Rey tried to insert a note of professional calm into her voice. "There must be a mistake."

 _"Uh—no. Let me check,"_ more typing. One click, then another, _"It says right here that a veterinary appointment was made for Ben Solo on the day of his adoption, roughly six months ago."_

Rey's eyebrows shot up. It had been that long already? Or should it feel short? She wasn't sure.

"His name is Kylo," was all Rey muttered into the receiver.

 _"You changed it?"_ asked the woman on the other end.

"Yes," Rey confirmed. She was still stuck on what the receptionist had told her. It didn't feel like it had only been six months since she had taken Kylo in. Somehow she felt as though time had flown by while she simultaneously felt as though it had never passed at a slower rate. Her life, while still generally the same at the surface, had shifted in a dramatic way to accommodate a simple creature in her life.

 _"Alright. I'll change the name in our systems after we hang up. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow."_

"Wait—"

 _Click._

Rey cursed.

"I have a bad feeling about this," she muttered.

* * *

The next day turned out pretty much just how Rey had expected it would. Kylo put up a beastly fight against being put back into a cat carrier. In fact, he fought her so hard (and made her bleed in so many places) that she finally just threw a blanket over him, scooped him into her arms and all but _sprinted_ to the car.

Flinging open the driver's side door, she unceremoniously shoved Kylo in and jumped in herself. Blessedly, the drive to the veterinary clinic was only about five minutes away. After wiggling out from under the blanket, Kylo oh-so-conveniently wedged himself as far back under the seat behind the passenger's chair as he could manage. Rey only suffered more battle wounds as she extracted him.

"Rey here with Kylo," she all but growled at the poor, very frightened looking receptionist as she burst through the door. Her arms circled Kylo as if she was his own personal straightjacket. Thankfully, the smell of the place distracted Kylo from his squirming. His nose was sniffing the air with rapt curiosity.

"His carrier?" the receptionist questioned.

"He didn't want to get in it," Rey growled again. She was _not_ about to face a lecture from this woman.

She seemed to get the message.

"This way." Rey was hastily lead through one door and then another. She entered a clean and altogether friendly looking room that had a couple of chairs, a large off-white island where she deposited her angry cat, and a strip that contained a sink and various tools such as gloves and glass containers with cotton balls inside. There were quite a few cheery-looking posters of happy people and their various pets.

After a little while, the door located across from where Rey had entered - presumably leading back to the labs and kennels and such opened. Rey turned from where she stood studying a cheery poster and was surprised to see a very tall, uniquely beautiful, and rather intimidating woman enter the room.

"Hello Rey, I'm Doctor Phasma." Rey took the woman's hand. Her grip was like a vice. The florescent lighting glinted off her short, sun-yellow hair. She took a second to glance around and spotted Kylo – who was preoccupied trying to wedge himself in a very small space between the examination table and the wall. "And who's this?"

Rey cringed when her cat responded to the Doctor with a low, very threatening growl.

"His name is Kylo. Kylo Ren. I'm sorry. He's uh—not used to other people. I only just got him to be comfortable around me," Rey supplied.

Doctor Phasma nodded. "Don't worry. I'm excellent with animals. He won't be a problem."

 _"I wouldn't go that far,"_ Rey muttered under her breath.

* * *

After doing a tame-looking initial checkup where Doctor Phasma seemed to just poke and prod at Kylo (while he appeared to hate every second of it) Rey was told she could stay in the room while Phasma briefly took Kylo into the lab to take a blood sample.

"Good luck," Rey called as Phasma scooped a _very_ pissed off cat into her arms.

Time passed. _Brief_ came and went. Rey tapped her food impatiently from where she sat on one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs. She was beginning to feel anxious – well, _more_ anxious. She began to think that maybe she should've stopped the Doctor from taking him.

So many _what ifs_ began running rampant through Rey's mind. _What if they decide he's too dangerous? What if they find something wrong with his health? What if he needs a ton of surgery that I can't afford? What if they tell me the best choice is just to put him down?_

Rey felt a weight like a pile of bricks settle in her stomach.

The door opened. Rey jumped to her feet.

Doctor Phasma entered the room, looking rather worse for wear. She was visibly making an effort to maintain her presence and overall dignity, but the poor woman's lab coat was torn in a couple places, her previously-immaculate hair was disheveled, her bare hands had more than their share of wounds, and a single scratch glowed red under her jaw. Rey winced.

"This isn't usually allowed," the doctor started, "But nothing else is working. Would you please come into the back and retrieve your cat?"

"Huh?" Rey asked, still dumbstruck by the blonde's appearance.

"We put him into a cage as soon as we extracted the blood sample. We intended to have him in there for a few moments while we…" She paused for a moment and Rey found herself preemptively cringing. " _Cleaned up_ back there. He hasn't responded well to any of our staff trying to extract him back out."

"Uh—yeah, sure. Lead the way," Rey responded.

Doctor Phasma nodded a quick, brisk nod and then turned on her heel. Rey followed her into the back, having to walk a little faster to keep up with the woman's long strides.

When they reached the wall of cages, it didn't take long for Rey to figure out which one her cat was in.

It was the only one emitting a long string of very agitated yolws.

Swallowing the sudden lump in her throat, Rey peered into the cage. Thankfully for her, it was exactly at her eye level. She spotted Kylo wedged into the right corner as tightly as physically possible.

"It's over now. Time to go home," Rey spoke low and calm. Kylo's ears perked up from where they had been glued flat to his head. He stopped his yowling. A few seconds passed, and he began to inch his way toward Rey.

"Come on, now," Rey encouraged him. After hearing her voice again, Kylo spurred himself forward and all but crashed himself into Rey. Letting out a breath of surprise, she caught him before he could drop to the floor.

"Very well," Phasma began—but was suddenly cut off by a large growl from Kylo and a loud wince from Rey. He had dug his claws into her arm at the sound of Phasma's voice.

"I think I should just go now. Send me a bill?" Rey questioned.

Wisely, Phasma only nodded her head.

* * *

Author's note: It's been a while, I know! I've had a pretty crazy year and, believe it or not, I'm currently studying abroad for an entire semester. It's been a fabulous experience, but stressful. I want to get back to my stories, since they've always made me happy and given me a creative outlet. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


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